TITHE-GIVING AMONGST ANCIENT PAGAN NATIONS. 135 



We begin Avitli that very old people the Pelasgi, who 

 spread about the JMediterraiiean in early times, of whom we 

 read that they gave a tenth of their gains by merchandize, 

 and sent their tithe to Phoebus at Delphi. A branch of these 

 people, settled in Umbria in Italy, in a dearth and great 

 scarcity of all things, vowed upon plenty being sent to them, 

 to give a tenth of all unto Jupiter, Apollo, and the Cabiri 

 (that is, the deities of Samothracia), supposing that this misery 

 and scarcity came upon them for their former neglect and 

 contempt. Upon this vovv of amendment, they had their 

 desire, as plenty was sent to them ; and then setting aside the 

 dedicated portion, the tenth of all their increase, they offered 

 it to those deities. 



After this, we niay pass from the Mediterranean, and 

 notice the testimony of Julius C^sar,* who seems to say of 

 the aucient Gauls, that their custom was to sacrifice the 

 cattle and to give, in effect, not only tithe, but all they took 

 in war, to the gods. 



The same custom, probably, extended to the ancient 

 Britons and German Saxons, for Sidonius Apollinaris (born 

 about 430) mentions that the German Saxons were wont to 

 sacrifice to the god of the sea tJie tenth of all captives taken 

 in these piracies and incursions made by sea, especially upon 

 the Gauls. 



Once more, we are told of Cfedvalla, last of the British 

 Kings of North AVales, and slain 634, that, during the period 

 of his life when he was a heathen, he was wont to tithe all 

 his spoils of war to the deity. So, at least, says the Monk of 

 JMalmesbury.f 



If, then, we summarize our testimonies concerning early 

 tithe-giving in Eurojje, Ave see that, so far back as 1300 years 

 before the Christian era (if such a date can be trusted) ; and, 

 afterwards, among the earliest peoples and persons known 

 to us in Europe ; we have the Argives, the Pelasgi and the 

 kings of Rome offering tenths of their Avarlike spoils or of 

 their gains by merchandize. 



When, moreover, Ave reach the period of authentic history, 

 Ave read of Greek generals; Roman dictators, laAvyers, and 

 farmers; herdsmen, sailors, merchants, miners, cooks, nay, 

 even the dissolute, thinking it right and religious to offer 

 a tenth of their Increase to the gods. This practice of 



* De hell. Gal, lib. 6, p. 132. 

 t Seidell, p. 260. 



